It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas movie time, that is! The new movies started mid-October again this year, but all networks had a lower-than-usual number this year, which was a bit surprising.
Hallmark was the biggest surprise; they only had 24 new Christmas movies this year (about half of what they normally release). They did try their hand at a couple of Christmas TV shows and reality Christmas-themed shows. Also down in numbers this year were Great American Family, who put out 18, Lifetime, who did 13, and UPtv, who only did 8.
Between all four networks, and a couple of others (Roku/Amazon/Disney/YouTube), I watched a combined total of 69 new Christmas movies for this season and 3 Christmas TV shows/limited series.
Last year I was a bit disappointed with many of Hallmark’s movies, but this year they were overall my favorites again. On the flip side, last year Great American Family’s movies were my faves, but this year many of them fell flat for me. Overall, Lifetime and UPtv’s movies were about so/so, with some being great and some being duds.
Without further ado, here are my top favorites for your reading pleasure. Trust me, you don’t want to miss these wonderful holiday stories full of love, laughter (some tears), and all the fun holiday festivities!
Top 10 New Hallmark Christmas Movies
Hallmark had 24 new Christmas movies this year and 2 new scripted TV shows. Here are my top 10-rated Hallmark movies from this past season.
10. Christmas On Duty
“Christmas On Duty” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Janel Parrish & Parker Young. Former military rivals Blair (Parrish) & Josh (Young) are forced to work Christmas duty together. When a snowstorm threatens to ruin Christmas for the base, they must work together to get deliveries made in time.
Loved these two leads together! The male needs to be in more Hallmark movies, and the female has quickly become a fave of mine. Loved the storyline of rival military families and the leads having a complicated history. Liked how the guy always liked the girl and had such a good heart – it was the pressures of his family that always got to him. Loved having two military people vs. one was a different dynamic. The leads had great chemistry, and I really enjoyed them trying to save Christmas but having it all go wrong around every turn. Was a fun movie.
9. An Alpine Holiday
“An Alpine Holiday” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Ashley Williams, Laci J Mailey, & Julien Marlon Samani. Estranged sisters Faith (Williams) & Kelly (Mailey) reunite for Christmas in the French Alps. To reminisce about their grandfathers’ first trip there, they bring along a guide (Samani) to help them on their journey.
I didn’t have hardly any expectations going into this one, and I was blown away by how much I liked it! Loved the dynamic of the two sisters and the different things they were working through together and individually. It was so beautiful to watch. The lead actresses were such a good team together too! Liked how they were traveling on a journey for their grandma and how they had a different life growing up with their grandparents. Loved the travel element and the fun French love interest for the one sister. Not too much Christmas, but I didn’t mind that. The only thing was the little arguments felt repetitive, but I liked that they never had a giant blowup and that they were always there for each other when it really mattered. I really enjoyed this one!
8. We Met in December
“We Met in December” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Autumn Reeser & Niall Matter. When Annie and Dave meet in a holiday hotel, they fall for each other fast. After a mishap sees them go their separate ways without being able to reconnect, they embark on a journey to find each other again.
This was such an original and fresh idea! Loved that it was a missed connection (over and over) and they were searching for each other throughout the whole movie. The flashbacks to their time together kept it feeling like they were together even when they weren’t. While it was frustrating a bit that they kept missing each other, it was realistic, and I loved how they finally found each other in the end. Plus, loved the leads together!
7. A Make or Break Holiday
“A Make or Break Holiday” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Hunter King & Evan Roderick. After deciding to separate, a couple fakes a happy relationship for their families who are all coming to their house to visit for the holidays.
This one was so fresh and modern. The couple bought a house together before being engaged. The whole breakup/taking a break miscommunication was funny, and how they kept playing along because they thought the other wanted it. The families were funny, and I loved the side stories. I loved the younger leads, and their chemistry was off the charts! The Mr. Christmas winner, Craig, played the lead’s brother and did a great job. Overall, it had plenty of comedy, heart, and love to go around not only in the romance sense but also the family sense. Such a good movie!
6. Tidings for the Season
“Tidings for the Season” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Tamera Mowry-Housley & B.J. Britt. Serious newscaster Adam’s (Britt) life changes when he meets a superfan and his single mom (Mowry-Housley). When he is forced to let his fan shadow him, he embarks on a journey to discover feel-good holiday stories to share and discovers love along the way.
I love my Tamera Mowry-Housley movies; they’re always some of my faves, and this one didn’t disappoint. Her connection with her son was so sweet and special. I liked how they all became involved with each other through the son and his love of reporting. I liked that there was a kiss before the fight, and we didn’t have to wait until the end of the movie. I liked that the all is lost moment wasn’t a big fight, but more so the mom wanting to people-please and support the guy and his dream job. The only downside I saw was that every time it felt like the plot was coming to a close, something else came up, so it felt slightly like it was dragging on some. I wish the kid would have had more time shadowing at the studio. But overall it was such a cute movie!
5. She’s Making a List
“She’s Making a List” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Lacey Chabert & Andrew W. Walker. A Naughty-or-Nice inspector (Chabert) evaluates a young girl’s Christmas status and begins to fall for the girl’s widowed father (Walker) along the way, clouding her judgment.
First, loved the leads and can’t believe they hadn’t done a Christmas movie together before! They are both Hallmark staples. They worked well together, and their chemistry was so real. I liked that it had the old-school Santa/Christmas magic elements. The story was so fun and unique, having the lead girl be somewhat of a spy for the naughty or nice list. So many fun comedic moments and plenty of heart as well. Loved it!
4. Melt My Heart This Christmas
“Melt My Heart This Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Laura Vandervoort & Stephen Huszar. When glassblower Holly (Vandervoort) jumps at the chance to assist her glassblowing idol at a Christmas festival, she must also work to overcome the disapproval of Jack (Huszar), the festival owner.
Such a fun original story. A unique Christmas movie with a glass-blowing theme. The Christmas festival craft show vibe was different. I liked how the main glass blowers were both female. The secret identity was fun to watch play out. The leads were amazing together, and it was fun watching their relationship develop. I loved the female friendship as well, and that the idol/mentor was a good friend to the up-and-comer and that they really tried to make each other better. The falling out was comical, and the resolution was so beautifully done and felt realistic. The writer is one of my faves, so I had high expectations, and it definitely lived up to them! This one was so fun!
3. Three Wisest Men
“Three Wisest Men” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, & Andrew W. Walker. Three brothers deal with personal changes when their mom decides to sell their childhood home right before Christmas.
The conclusion of the 3 Wise Men trilogy. I was excited for this one but a bit cautious after I didn’t like the 2nd one very much. This one brought back the same fun and unique energy as the first and lived up to the hype! I love the 3 brothers and their dynamics together. Sometimes with multiple people and storylines are hard to follow or seem too busy, but this one didn’t! I loved all the different side stories for each brother, and they wove together well. It was just as funny as the first! Loved the new baby angle and the same comedy and family love themes. A great way to end the series! Loved it!
2. A Christmas Angel Match
“A Christmas Angel Match” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Meghan Ory & Benjamin Ayres. Two Christmas angels with opposite styles must work together to bring soulmates together before Christmas or risk getting terminated from their jobs.
The first Christmas movie of the season that I watched, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I was a bit hesitant because of how let down I was in general with the Hallmark Christmas movies last year. This one was so fun and fresh, I felt like! Of course, there were elements that were pretty predictable, like the grandparents being what ultimately brought the couple together, but it was still fun to watch it play out. I loved having it be about two angels vs. one angel and one human falling in love, like is typical in angel stories. It was comedic, and the banter was fun. The innocence of the angels not knowing/experiencing human things was cheesy but fun; it wasn’t too much. Loved the two leads together; they had great chemistry. And a little twist at the end I didn’t see coming. Overall, really enjoyed it!
1. A Grand Ole Opry Christmas
“A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Nikki DeLoach & Kristoffer Polaha. Former songwriter Gentry (DeLoach), who gave up music after her father’s passing, must confront her past when she is invited to the Grand Ole Opry to honor her late, famous country-singing father. While at the Opry, she finds herself time traveling back with her best friend Mac (Polaha) and comes face to face with her father once again.
I was so excited for this one, and it definitely lived up to the hype! I love a good country music/Nashville story, and bringing the magic of the Grand Ole Opry into it was so fun. I love a good time travel story, and this one was so fun because there was no rhyme or reason to how/when the time traveling happened. Loved that the lead got to go back in time to see her dad, get answers about his career ending, and write a song with him. It was so magical and heartfelt in all the good Christmas ways without being too sappy/sad. Loved the leads and that their friendship had been a love story in the making. It was such a good movie and a definite rewatch!
Top 10 New Great American Family Christmas Movies
Great American Family had 18 new Christmas movies this year (down a little from last year). Here are my top 10-rated Great American Family movies from this past season.
10. There’s No Place Like Christmas
“There’s No Place Like Christmas” is a Great American Family original movie starring Cindy Busby & Sam Page. When Grace (Busby), a successful realtor, moves back home temporarily during the holidays, she begins to question her priorities and life after meeting photographer Luke (Page).
Overall, I enjoyed this one. I liked the two leads together and how their relationship grew and developed. It felt so authentic to real life how family isn’t just blood but also who you make it/your chosen family. It was predictable with the housing puzzles of who would sell/buy each house, but I still liked watching it play out. The only note would be that the female lead’s boss offering the position to someone else before her never felt tied up/explained.
9. A Royal Christmas Tail
“A Royal Christmas Tail” is a Great American Family original movie starring Brittany Underwood & Jonathan Stoddard. Prince Edward (Stoddard) embarks on a small town in hopes of finding the woman (Underwood) and her dog who stole his heart. Along the way, he works with the local rescue dog center to help pets find homes for the holidays.
I didn’t think much of this ahead of time, but I loved it! Not crazy about the Royal themes, but this one felt fresh and fun. I love the two leads together; they work so well and look so good together. The story was fun, and the banter was unexpected, which kept it feeling fresh. I liked the dog rescue and the twist of the prince’s business being tied to it too. The side characters brought fun and life to the story as well. Overall, loved it!
8. Christmas at Mistletoe Manor
“Christmas at Mistletoe Manor” is a Great American Family original movie starring Madeleine Coghlan & Lior Selve. Alice (Coghlan) travels to England to lay a World War II nurse’s remains to rest, finding herself enchanted by a castle’s owner (Selve).
I really didn’t have high hopes for this one, so I put it off for quite a while…but once I took the time to watch, I was so surprised by how much I liked it! It was fresh and fun, with comedic moments and heartfelt moments. The dialogue was funny, and the story was intriguing. A bit more serious with the ashes to their final resting place, but it was never too much. I had never seen the leads before, but I really liked them both individually and together. I really liked the mystery aspect of the lead girl trying to track down her family history, and the travel element was fun. Overall, I really liked this one, and it went pretty high on my list of faves for this year.
7. Christmas in Midnight Clear
“Christmas in Midnight Clear” is a Great American Family original movie starring Alicia Josipovic & Jon McLaren. A corporate developer (Josipovic) plans to buy and redevelop a small town, but meets pushback from the local pastor (McLaren).
After watching “Christmas of Giving,” my hopes for this one were pretty low, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one! The male lead is quickly becoming a new fave of mine since “When Hope Calls,” and he was brilliant in this one. He was wise and believable as a pastor and yet still felt relatable and down to earth. I liked how it has familiar aspects (small town needs saved from a developer, etc.), but it felt fresh enough that I hadn’t seen it before. I liked the pastor’s family business. The two leads played well off each other, and their relationship felt real. The female lead’s journey didn’t feel forced and felt authentic. I also loved how she did everything she could to make up for the purchase of the town even though it wasn’t her fault. The pastor’s doubt and hope at the end felt very real, and I loved how his dad and nephew lifted him and reminded him to have faith and hope. Overall, I really enjoyed this one.
6. Have We Met This Christmas?
“Have We Met This Christmas?” is a Great American Family original movie starring Danica McKellar & Jesse Hutch. After a car wreck leaves Katie (McKellar), a real estate developer, with amnesia, she recovers at a local small-town inn. As she begins to fall for the keeper’s son (Hutch), she is unaware of their past relationship, but he is.
I was excited about this one! Loved the two leads and their chemistry felt authentic. I liked the military aspect and could relate to the struggles of giving up dreams/dealing with military life. Love a good amnesia story, and this twist of her trying to stop the seller from buying the Inn, not realizing that she is the buyer, was a fun twist. The guy’s family was fun, but the cousin seemed unnecessary/no real purpose. Overall, I enjoyed it, just thought there could have been even more fun to it.
5. A Very Curious Christmas
“A Very Curious Christmas” is a Great American Family original movie starring Brittany Bristow & Olivier Renaud. A rising TV reporter works hard to uncover the identity of a local Christmas bandit who takes Christmas home decorations, much to the chagrin of the local detective (Renaud).
I was excited about this one. Not a GAC original, but a mystery which I love, plus two leads I really enjoy. They played well together and looked great. Some parts were cheesy/not believable, like the reporter telling the detectives how to do a stakeout. But their dynamic was fun, and I love a good Christmas mystery. It wasn’t too heavy and just fun. Overall, so cute. It is also known as “Merry Mystery Christmas” elsewhere.
4. Chasing Christmas
“Chasing Christmas” is a Great American Family original movie starring Jillian Murray & Trevor Donovan. Single parents Mia (Murray) and Michael (Donovan) join forces with their kids to hunt down a popular toy across Buffalo before Christmas.
I was excited to see this one. Two of my faves who I love seeing in romcoms together and produced/put on by Mario Lopez…and it lived up to the hype. Loved that each lead had a kid and family was a big part of it. It was magical, and I loved that giving gifts brought them all together. The romance was beautiful to watch, and there were some special and unexpected twists that tied everything together in the end. It was so fun and so well done! Loved all the actors and the movie!
3. A Christmas Prayer
“A Christmas Prayer” is a Great American Family original movie starring Shae Robins & Christopher Russell. When illustrator Natalie (Robins) comes across a girl’s Christmas prayer list for others, she secretly begins fulfilling the requests, finds inspiration in her own writing, and begins to fall for the girl’s widowed father (Russell).
I was really looking forward to this one because it stars a couple of my faves and was written by one of my fave screenwriters. This was the first GAC Christmas movie I watched for this season, and it will be hard for the others to measure up. It was so good! Loved how the faith element was woven through. It wasn’t too much or cheesy. It felt authentic. It wasn’t the typical redemption faith story. It was lighthearted and felt real. Loved the unique twist of a prayer list for random acts of kindness. The couple was great together, and I absolutely loved the daughter; she was so cute and wise. Liked how she knew about the prayers being answered by the girl before the dad did. She was wise beyond her years. Will definitely be watching again!
2. Timeless Tidings of Joy
“Timeless Tidings of Joy” is a Great American Family original movie starring Candace Cameron Bure, Paul Greene, & Natasha Bure. When Ally (Cameron Bure) decides to sell her grandmother’s old letterpress shop, she meets a passionate preservationist (Greene) who tries to convince her to keep it. Soon they find themselves transported back in time to when her grandmother Joy (Bure) first opened the shop.
I was really excited to see this one, and it exceeded my expectations. I love Candace Cameron Bure, and this one had her teamed up with her daughter Natasha, which was so fun. I love the time travel theme. It wove faith throughout effortlessly and beautifully. It wasn’t over the top either. I liked that the two leads time-traveled together. I liked the family connection and how the lead and her grandmother really bonded. There were fun twists along the way, too, that added to the mystique. My only critique was that there wasn’t enough romance between the two leads, and they didn’t even share a kiss at the end. That was a bit of a letdown. But overall it was so well done, and I really loved it!
1. Christmas at the Inn
“Christmas at the Inn” is a Great American Family original movie starring Jill Wagner & Trevor Donovan. A cafe owner (Wagner) goes back to her hometown for a Christmas potluck tradition and runs into her blind date (Donovan) from 20 years ago at her family’s Inn.
I was really excited for this one because it stars two of my faves, and it did not disappoint! It was so much fun and so funny! So many little comedic moments that just made it even better. There wasn’t any big urgency, but that didn’t matter. All the side characters and storyline played well into the movie and didn’t feel like they took over from the lead story. Loved how giving both leads were and the military aspect. It was so special and full of heart. It felt like it embodied the true spirit of the season! And the leads were amazing together too! Already want a sequel!
Top 10 New Christmas Movies – Other Networks
You can’t forget Lifetime, UPtv, Roku, Disney/Hulu, Amazon & YouTube. Here are my Top 10 Christmas movie favorites from these networks, listed from least favorite to favorite.
10. Merry Missed Connection (Lifetime)
“Merry Missed Connection” is a Lifetime movie starring Emily Alatalo & Andrew Bushell. At a speed dating event, Marie (Alatalo) accidentally swaps journals with another participant. Convinced the author of the journal is her soulmate, she embarks on a journey to find him along with the speed dating event space owner (Bushell).
This movie is also known under the title of “The Perfect Christmas Date”. I liked this storyline and premise. It felt new and unique. It was a bit predictable with who the mystery guy/diary owner was, but I enjoyed watching it play out. I liked the two leads together and thought they played well off each other. The side stories/characters added to the story without being too much. The revelation of the guy being who the girl was looking for felt a bit unexpected in the moment, which I liked. The family planning a setup was fun, and I liked the makeup between the leads and how the female took accountability and was more mellow about it. This was a fun one!
9. Christmas in Big Sky Country (UP TV)
“Christmas in Big Sky Country” is a UP TV movie starring Rebecca Dalton & Olivier Renaud. Becca (Dalton) collaborates with Logan (Renaud), an oil company’s new PR agent, to ensure her brother-in-law makes it home safely after an oil rig accident.
This was such an original story. Love the two leads and loved how caring the guy was! The only downside to this one was a more somber tone, with loved ones missing and possibly in danger on an oil rig, but I loved all the characters/actors and their storylines! They all fit well together. The going back and forth traveling for the guy felt like a bit much, but I liked how he kept going back to Montana. Absolutely loved the leads together; they were such a good pairing! Overall, loved this one and how unique it felt!
8. Christmas with the Knightlys (UP TV)
“Christmas with the Knightlys” is a UP TV movie starring Celeste Desjardins & Joe Scarpellino. Teacher Georgia (Desjardins) hopes to put on a Christmas showcase with her students, but unexpectedly finds herself the talk of the town when she agrees to fake date Chase (Scarpellino), a billionaire, in exchange for a new community center.
I love a good fake romance storyline, and this one was so fun! Liked that it was with a billionaire, and he stepped in to help save face for the girl. Hadn’t seen the leads before but loved them and thought they were great together. They had good and realistic chemistry. Loved how they each had deeper layers and fully embraced getting to know each other. It was such a fun story! Also liked how the families were on board. I liked how the low point wasn’t too crazy and didn’t blow up too much, and the reporter couldn’t release the negative story. Such a cute movie!
7. Rodeo Christmas Romance (Lifetime)
“Rodeo Christmas Romance” is a Lifetime movie starring Rebecca Dalton & Corey Sevier. When a rodeo broc rider (Dalton) finds herself ranch-sitting for a friend while caring for her sick horse over the holidays, she clashes with a veteran (Sevier) who unexpectedly returns home on the same ranch.
I love a good country/cowboy story, and this one was no exception! Love the leads, and they were so good together. Loved the storyline of the rodeo and the brothers with a complicated history. It was so fun watching the story unfold, and each character develop. It was slightly on the more edgy/steamy side, which I enjoyed. Overall, it all felt fresh, new, and authentic. I loved it!
6. A Very Jonas Christmas (Disney+)
“A Very Jonas Christmas” is a Disney+ movie starring Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, & Kevin Jonas. Three famous brothers race against the clock and mishaps to get from London to New York to spend Christmas with their loved ones.
I was so excited for this; I am partial to anything JoBro, and this one I thought was great. Loved the musical/fantasy elements, but it didn’t feel like too much. All the comedy and cameos were great! They played themselves, and their families were featured, so it didn’t feel like a real Christmas movie, but it was still so much fun to watch from beginning to end and felt relatable.
5. Thank God: Christmas at Keller Ranch (UP TV)
“Thank God: Christmas at Keller Ranch” is a Lifetime movie starring Arielle Kebbel & Tyler Hilton. When Wes (Hilton), a pro hockey players bregurdingly agrees to spend Christmas at an equine horse ranch to try and heal an injury, he clashes with the therapist and ranch owner Maggie (Kebbel).
I was so excited about this one leading up to it, and it lived up to my expectations. The story was so fresh and unique. Plenty of comedic moments and heartfelt ones blended throughout so well. Loved the leads, and they worked so well together! Everything felt authentic. There were some more steamy parts, but nothing too crazy. Liked that their falling out was more about distance than them as a couple and how they easily made up. Also liked how this was connected to the hit Country song “Thank God,” although it didn’t need to be in the title, in my opinion. But this one was such a good movie!
4. Christmas in Amish Country (UP TV)
“Christmas in Amish Country” is a UP TV movie starring Ella Cannon & Jason Tobias. A struggling chef (Cannon) returns to her Amish roots for the holidays, finding joy in the slower way of life and reconnecting with a farmer (Tobias) from her past.
I liked a good Amish story, and having it set at Christmas was fun. I really liked this storyline and watching the romance unfold. The reporter guy learning more about Amish life and understanding where the chef lead came from was so much fun and educational. The side stories/characters were so fun; they added to the story without being too much. Overall, I felt it was so well done! I really enjoyed this one.
3. A Pickleball Christmas (Lifetime)
“A Pickleball Christmas” is a Lifetime movie starring James Lafferty & Zibby Allen. Tennis star Luke (Lafferty) returns home for Christmas and discovers his family’s racquetball club is about to be sold. In hopes of raising enough money to save it, he teams up with Caroline (Allen), the club’s pickleball coach, for a holiday tournament.
As a One Tree Hill fan, I was so excited for James Lafferty’s first holiday romcom and couldn’t wait to see it! It did not disappoint! Loved the banter and joking between all the characters – it felt very real. I liked the setup for the guy to learn pickleball and learn more about it. It was more steamy than is typical in these movies, and it worked well. The chemistry of the leads was perfect! I liked learning more about pickleball and the comedic elements of this movie. Overall, I really loved it!
2. A Christmas Murder Mystery (UP TV)
“A Christmas Murder Mystery” is a UP TV movie starring Morgan Bradley, Rob Mayes, & Vivica A. Fox. After Vera (Bradley), a part-time newspaper puzzle editor and consultant for the local sheriff, is invited to spend the holidays with a wealthy family, the matriarch dies, and Vera works to help solve the mystery.
I love a good mystery theme in a Christmas movie. UPtv put this one out themselves (I think that’s a first time), and it was so good! Such a fun mystery with plenty of suspects and twists and turns. A small romance element added a nice touch. The lead was a bit weird and quirky but so lovable, and it made the movie. I did predict the killer towards the end of the movie, but it was still fun watching it all play out. Overall, such a good one!
1. Joy to the World (Disney+/Hulu)
“Joy to the World” is a Disney+/Hulu movie starring Emmanuelle Chriqui & Chad Michael Murray. Joy (Chriqui), a famous lifestyle writer who has crafted a carefully fake family, enlists the help of friends and neighbors to pose as her family to keep her fake image alive when camera crews show up for a family Christmas special.
I was really excited for this one, and it exceeded my expectations! I love the male lead, hadn’t seen the female lead before, but they made a fun team. I love a good fake relationship story, and this took it to another level with a whole fake family. It was so well written and well acted. So many fun comical moments! One of my top faves of the whole season from any network. I absolutely loved it!
Honorable Mention – All Networks
It’s so hard to pick just 10 favorites from Hallmark, Great American Family, Lifetime, UPtv, and all the others. So here are some of my other favorite Christmas movies that I felt deserved an Honorable Mention. They are listed from my highest to lowest.
1. The Christmas Cup (Hallmark)
“The Christmas Cup” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Rhiannon Fish & Ben Rosenbaum. Staff Sergeant Kelly (Fish), who is recovering from a knee injury, coaches her hometown team as they compete in their annual Christmas Cup race while sparks fly with the competition (Rosenbaum).
I love the female lead, and she shone like always in this one. The male lead was good as well, and I liked their chemistry. The story felt refreshing and new. I liked that the girl was in the military and had to decide what to do with her life. The Christmas Cup game was so fun and comical to watch as the training developed. I liked the military and firefighter elements and the rival towns having to. come together. I liked that the villain, so to speak, wasn’t so horrible but was realistic. The movie was so fun! I really enjoyed it!
2. Jingle All the Way to Love (Lifetime)
“Jingle All the Way to Love” is a Lifetime original movie starring Erin Agostino & Romaine Waite. Years after receiving a lucky sleigh bell as a gift, Andi (Agostino) shares the touching story on a radio show. Soon she embarks on a journey to find her lost holiday love along with the radio show host (Waite).
I loved the premise of this one. The radio show was a fun take that felt fresh. I loved the sort of missed connection element and the special lucky Jingle Bell that got passed around random people as an act of kindness. A couple of aspects didn’t make sense or feel authentic, like the fiancé being fine with her tracking down a missed connection (in the end, it did make sense that he was hoping she’d end things, but it did feel so bizarre for the first half of the movie). And it felt so off that the girl would just join the radio show when she was a very busy and successful lawyer. The lead male having a daughter was a nice side storyline. Overall, it came down to how I thought it would (but what of these movies doesn’t lol), and it was a cute one!
3. A Suite Holiday Romance (Hallmark)
“A Suite Holiday Romance” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Jessy Schram & Dominic Sherwood. When writer Sabrina (Schram) stays at a luxury hotel during the holidays to ghostwrite a memoir, she meets Ian (Sherwood) at the hotel bar and lets him assume she is wealthy. At the same time, Ian is posing as royalty while actually managing the royal jewels exhibit.
I hadn’t seen Jessie Shram lately, and I love her! This story was so fun, and I liked how the main guy wasn’t the royal for once. Felt fresh. I liked the girl’s job and the side story of her clients’ love-story flashbacks; it added a fun mystery element to it. One major downside was the low point and how the girl got made when she found out the guy wasn’t a royal – it made her feel very shallow and unlikeable. But other than that, I loved it!
4. The More the Merrier (Hallmark)
“The More the Merrier” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Rachel Boston & Brendan Penny. Alice (Boston), an ER doctor, volunteers to work a Christmas Eve shift at her rural hospital. During the snowy Christmas shift, she works with a cardiologist (Penny) to deliver three babies.
I liked this one a lot more than I thought I would. Typically, I’m not big on the hospital Christmas movies because they’re more serious/sad. This one was so cute! I liked that both the leads were doctors and had an instant initial connection. They played well off each other, and their relationship was fun to watch unfold. It felt authentic and had comedic moments too, which kept the mood lighter. There wasn’t anything too serious/sad about this one, and I loved that it centered around new babies being born. A fun way to keep it lighthearted.
5. A Newport Christmas (Hallmark)
“A Newport Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Ginna Claire Mason & Wes Brown. Ella (Mason), a Newport socialite in 1905, goes for a nightly boat ride and finds herself transported to present-day Newport with Nick (Brown), the current boat captain. They team up to help her figure out how to get back home again.
I love a good time travel movie, and this one didn’t disappoint. I liked that the lead traveled forward to the current day vs. traveling back in time. The mystery element was fun as well, although it was predictable to me how they were ultimately going to end up together. Not crazy about the male lead as an actor, but I love the female lead. They were great together and played off each other well. Overall, not my fave time travel Christmas movie, but I still really enjoyed it.
6. Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! (Hallmark)
“Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Kimberley Sustad & Robert Buckley. Local weatherman Ted (Buckley) heads to his hometown for vacation and reconnects with his childhood crush (Sustad).
This was a fresh, unique new movie which was so fun to see. It played on the more comedic side, like Hallmark has been doing lately (like 3 Wise Men & Haul Out the Holly). Loved the two leads together! They’re a good team. Liked how it was more about the guy and his quirky behavior. Loved the Christmas escape room; so fun for a Christmas movie. Liked how the initial miscommunication was quickly tied up but then turned into another bump/fight between the couple so funny and crazy. Didn’t like how the girl told Ted to show her who he is, but then got annoyed and left and didn’t let him answer. That felt off for her, and it was awkward. Loved how they made up; it was sweet and romantic, and they both redeemed themselves.
7. Do You Fear What I Fear (Lifetime)
“Do You Fear What I Fear” is a Lifetime original movie starring Ciara Hanna & Josh Henderson. Claire’s (Hanna) fresh start in the city turns scary when eerie holiday decorations begin showing up in her apartment, each including a personal message.
This was a fresh and different take on Christmas. Done in the Lifetime signature thriller style, but set at Christmastime. It took me a while to watch only because you have to really be in the mood for a thriller, and with Christmas I prefer a more lighthearted tone. But once I started it, I couldn’t stop it! Was so good and kept you on your seat, wanting to get answers. It was predictable to me in that I called the stalker early on in the movie…but it did a good job of keeping multiple people’s suspicions high. Overall thought it was well done and enjoyed it. You just have to be in the mood for a darker thriller style for it. But definitely worth a mention and brownie points for being different and Lifetime taking a risk with it!
8. Exes of Christmas Past (Roku)
“Exes of Christmas Past” is a Roku movie starring Brittany Underwood & Alex Trumble. A hotel manager (Underwood) returns home to her parents’ B&B and finds three of her exes staying there for the holidays.
This was such a unique concept. I thought it could have so many comedic elements – there wasn’t as much as I thought there would be – but I enjoyed it! I love the leads and liked how not all 3 exes were hung up on her and how they all just needed their own closure for their own different reasons, and the girls help with their current relationships, so there wasn’t any jealousy when the girl did fall for one of the exes again. The characters were fun, and they did a good job showing the lead had too much on her plate of her own making. I didn’t like the low point and how she just ran off from the guy when he confessed his love for her, and she left him hanging. They did a good job explaining it, but it made her seem a bit unlikeable, which I didn’t like. But overall I enjoyed this one!
9. A Christmas Cookbook (Lifetime)
“A Christmas Cookbook” is a Lifetime original movie starring Ashley Newbrough & Franco Lo Presti. Finding herself single at Christmas, Veronica (Newbrough) joins The X-Mas Club, a festive group for single foodies. As she bonds with the group’s founder, Cullen (Lo Presti), she begins to question if staying single is all it’s cracked up to be.
This was a fun one. I liked both leads, and their chemistry together was magical. I liked the aspect of the Xmas club full of singles who were hurt and alone for Christmas. It was fun watching all the B storylines play out and the side characters. There was a bit too much cooking/baking/food, in my opinion, but not a deal breaker. I loved the lead guy trying to make his ex jealous and the marvelous unexpected spur-of-the-moment kiss. The way the kiss took a negative turn into the low point was surprising and felt very realistic. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
10. The Spirit of Christmas Station (YouTube/Nicely Entertainment)
“The Spirit of Christmas Station” is a Nicely Entertainment original movie featured on their YouTube channel starring Alexandra Harris & Chase Garland. With a deadline looming, writer Isabell (Harris) heads to a cabin over Christmas for some inspiration. While there, she teams up with a local rancher (Garland) to revive the town’s Christmas station festival.
Was excited to watch this one as it was free on Nicely Entertainment’s YouTube channel. Love their movies and the lead actress in this movie. I liked the ghostwriter storyline and how she came to get away and found herself becoming a part of the town. I liked the edgy dialogue/banter and the leads’ chemistry. It was fun watching their relationship develop. About halfway through, I noticed there really weren’t many characters – even in the town, you didn’t see many people, so it felt low budget/strange a bit. It seemed unrealistic that the guy was trying to fix the train all by himself and that the girl never wrote her novel, which was the whole reason she was there. At times it felt like the guy had too big an opinion of the girl’s career and writing, and he didn’t have a right to – but at the same time you could tell it was from a good place because he cared and believed in her. Overall, I enjoyed it; it was a cute movie!
Honorable Mention – TV Shows
Also worth mentioning were the new Christmas TV shows across networks this year. While I loved some of the Christmas reality shows on Hallmark (Finding Mr. Christmas and Baked with Love: Holiday), these are the scripted shows and my thoughts, listed from highest to lowest.
1. Mistletoe Murders (Hallmark)
“Mistletoe Murders” is a Hallmark+/Hallmark Channel original TV show starring Sarah Drew & Peter Mooney. Christmas store owner Emily (Drew) and detective Sam (Mooney) work together to solve local murders and navigate their growing relationship, despite her secret past.
This was the 2nd season of this limited series for Hallmark, and it was so good! I love a good mystery, and this one is so well done. Minimal Christmas, murder, and more mystery to go. Hoping it gets renewed for another season.
2. The Twelve Dates Til Christmas (Hallmark)
“The Twelve Dates Til Christmas” is a Hallmark+ original limited TV series starring Mae Whitman, Julian Morris, Toby Sandeman, Nathaniel Parker, Lucy Eaton, & Jane Seymour. A textile pattern designer (Whitman) living in England who lives next to her father (Parker). During the holidays, she agrees to take part in 12 blind dates to try and get out there more.
This was so fresh and modern and so good! All characters were unique and fun to watch. Liked the multicultural element between Americans and Brits. Predictable at times, but so fun and a great cast of actors!
3. The Christmas Checklist (UP TV)
“The Christmas Checklist” is an UP TV original limited TV series starring Sarah Power & Jarod Joseph. A grieving daughter (Power) works with a journalist (Joseph) to do 12 activities from her deceased mother’s Christmas list.
This was a little more of a series, with the main girl doing the list because of her deceased mom. But it was a fun premise, and I loved the two leads and their interactions. Parts were very predictable, but overall still enjoyable to watch.
One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is Christmas movies. I absolutely love all the new Christmas movies that come out, and I love re-watching my favorites from previous years. I live for my Christmas movie marathons every year! Did you have a favorite new Christmas movie from this past season? Let me know in the comments below.
